Discharging device for bins.



W. BUTLER.

DISGHARGING DEVICE FOR BINS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1912.

Patented June 11, 1912.

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DISGHARGING DEVICE FOR BINS.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 191z.

1,029,273, Patented June 11,1912.

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m. Smm @Q79 WALTER BUTLER, or sr. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

' DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR BINS.

Specication of Letters Pat-ent. .i Patel'lted J 11e 11, 1912,

Application led January 29, 1912.' Serial No. 674,128.

To a?? whom it may concern: lle it known tha-t I, WALTER BUTLER, o St. Paul, Ramsey coyunty, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improve"- ments in Discharging Devices for Bins, of

which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to means for facilitating the discharge of the contents of a storage bin, hopper or chute Where there is a tendency of the material to lodgefand become arched or develop adhesion bet-Ween the particles, or with the sides or bottom of the bin.

The object of-my invention is-to provide a means which will enable. the person in charge of the bin to easily and quickly discharge its contents Wit-hout the use of poles or other devices commonly employed to loosen the bin Contents.

The invention consists generally inapplying a fluid) pressure tothe bin contents and causing it to penetrate the voids therein and act expansively and by direct pressure undermine and break down the arches which may form in the material and overcome the adhesion between the particles or between them and the the bin.

-In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional vieuY of a bin illustrating t-he application of my invention thereto, Fig. 2 is a sectional vievv on the line of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing the construction of the loosening device and its method of application .to the bin, Fig. 4 is a detail view, partially in section. of the casting mounted in the bot-tom of the bin, Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line y-g/ of Fig. 4.

In the drawing, 2 represents the bottom of the bin land 3 the front wall, havinga discharge opening 4 Which may be closedby a suitable gate in ,thel usual way. This gate Walls or bottom of .I have not thought necessary to illustrate herein.

I have .shown the invent-ion applied to a single bin, but it will be understood that a series of them may be equipped and discharged successively.' These bins are of various sizes and adapted to containlmaterial in bulk form, such as iron ore, which is delposited in the bin through the openings 5 from cars on the tracks 6. -In loading the vessels with thisore,v the gates are opened and the ore discharged by gravity into the vessels. I have found that after a portion of this ore,.has flowed out of the bin an arch will frequently form, as indicated in Fig. 1, due to the Wedging of the material and the adhesion of the particles with 0nc.anotl1er or with the walls of the bin, necessitating the use of poles and considerablemanual labor to loosen the mass. To eliminate this labor and loss of time, I arrange fluid pressure nozzles in the bottom of the bin at different levels therein, as indicated in Fig. 1, and connect them with a source of fluid pressure supply. These nozzles are preferably embodied in castings 7 arranged in the bottom of the bin, flush With'the surface thereof and extending across the bin from side to side, each casting having a longitudinal manifold chamber 8 sepa-rated by a web 9 from-a pressure chamber 10. This web 9 has ports 11 therein forming fluid pressure 4nozzles leading to the chamber 10 andthe chamber 10 is preferably divided into a series of chambers by transverse Webs 12. A Wall 13 overhangs. the chamber 10 and'preventsthe material from dropping dovvn and clogging ther nozzles 11, and a plate 14 forms an upwardly 'inclined extension of the bottom of the chamber 10 and present-s an inclined surface to the fluid pressure blast from the nozzles, directing the fluid pressure into the mass of material above.` A fluid pressure pipe lcommunicates with a manifold chamber 8 and extends to a controlling valve 16, Within convenient reach of the operator, and this valve is connected with a source of fluid pressure supply, notshoivn, and with a fluid pressure reservoir 17, l0- cated, preferably, near the bot-tom of the bin. I have shown a series of four of these castings in the bottom of the bin, each having independent connections with the controlling valve so that the operatorcan admit fluid pressure to 4'each of the manifold chambers Uindependently of the others. Usually the pressure will be admitted to the lower one first and then to the others successively until the material has been discharged. The controlling valve is so located that the operator may look into the bin and observe the 'condition of its contents and ascertain -to which group of nozzles the fluid pressure should be applied.

It will be noted from an examination of the drawings that the individual outlet or nozzle openings are of comparatively small tween the manifold and pressure chambers. The fluid pressure entering the manifold chamber will flow therein entirely across the bin and will pass out through the nozzles at substantially the same pressure, so that the blast on the material will be uniform across the bin and any arch formed therein will be broken from one side of the bin to the other. The pressure chamber is entirely open on the side adjacent to the material, but, as heretofore stated, the construction is such that the contents of the bin will not enter and clog it. In a large installation, involving the transmission of pressure tov a considerable distance, I prefer to use the local reservoir 17, which will maintain a constantsupply of fluid pressure adjacent to the bin and would permit the use of a somewhat smaller main supply pipe than otherwise would be necessary. When the y out-let gate is opened at the bottom of the bin, a small quantity of the material will fiow out and frequently an arch will form. as indicated in Fig. 1. In that case, fluid pressure being admitted to the second group of nozzles, the arch will be broken and the material will flow until conditions may be such that another arch will be formed, whereupon fluid pressure may be discharged through the third group of nozzles and so on with the successive groups until the contents of the bin have passed out.

This invention is capable of application to stationary storage bins, cars, wagons, and various types of hoppers or chutes, either stationary or portable, where there is any difficulty experienced in arching or clogging of the material therein.

I claim asmy invention 1. The combination, with a bin having an open top and an outlet opening in its lower wall and a door for said opening, of a iiuid pressure nozzle having means for connection with a fluid pressure supply and arranged' to direct the fluid pressure into the material in said bin to disintegrate and break the arches formed by adhesion of the material to the Walls ofthe bin, the material moving by gravity toward said outlet opening.A

2. The combination, with a bin having a hopper bottom and anoutlet opening,-of a series of nozzles arranged in the bottom of said bin upon different levels, and pipes having a controlling valve communicating with a. source of fluid pressure-supply.

3. The combination, with a bin having a hopper bottom and outlet opening, said bottom having a manifold chamber extending transversely thereof and provided in its wall with Huid pressure nozzles leading into sa-id bin, and a fluid pressure supply pipe communicating with said manifold chamber and having a controlling valve.

4f The combination, with a bin having a hopper bottom and outlet opening, of a casting arranged in the bottom of said bin transversely thereof and having a manifold chamber and-a fluid pressure chamber and ports leading from one chamber to the other, afluid pressure supply pipe co-mmunicating with said manifold chamber and with a source of fluid pressure supply, and a controlling valve for said pipe. i

5. The combination, with a bin hav-ing a hopper bottom and discharge opening, of a casting mounted in the bottom of said bin and having a manifold chamber therein, a pressure chamber communicating with said bin, and a Wall provided with ports at intervals leading from said manifold chamber and said pressure chamber, a fluid pressure pipe communicating with said manifold chamber and with a source of fluid pressure supply, and a contro-lling valve.

6. The combination, with a bin having a hopper bottom 'and outlet opening, a casting mounted in said hopper bottom, a wall eXtending'lengt-hwise of said casting and dividing it interiorly into a manifold and pressure chamber, said wall havingports therein leading from one chamber to the other, said pressure chamber communicating with said bin and having an upwardly inclined floor in front of said ports, a iiuid pressure supply pipe communicating with said manifold chamber, anda cont-rolling valve for said pipe. I

7 The combination, with a bin having a hopper bottom and an outlet opening through which the material flows by gravity, and a door for said outlet opening, of a fluid pressure nozzle mounted in the wall of said bin and flush'substantially with the inner surface thereof and having a pipe connection with the fluid' pressure supply, and a controlling valve for regulating the admission of fluid pressure to said nozzle.l 8. The combination, with a bin having an outlet opening and a door therefor and av bottom arranged to direct the material by gravity toward said outlet opening, said bin having a series of fluid pressure nozzles therein and fluid pressure supply pipes for said nozzles, said nozzles being arranged to direct the fluid pressure into the material in the bin to break up the arches formed by adhesion of the material, and a regulating valve controlling the admission of fluid pressure to said nozzles. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of January, 1912.

y WALTER BUTLER.'`

Witnesses v GENEVIEVE E. SonENsnN, EDWARD A. PAUL.

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